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EIGHT JUSTICES by Becky Beaupre Gillespie EIGHT CLERKS FOR EIGHT JUSTICES By Becky Beaupre Gillespie ight University of Chicago Law School alumni will on the Supreme Court have been alumni of the Law clerk on the US Supreme Court in the October School. In 17 of those years, four or more Supreme Court E2021 term—a banner year that marks the first clerks have been Chicago alumni—including in 1993, time eight alumni have clerked for eight different justices when there were eight, and in 1994, when there were simultaneously. This term, seven Law School alumni are seven alumni clerking for seven different justices. clerking on Supreme Court. This term, seven alumni are clerking for four justices. During the coming term, Christina Gay, ’20, will clerk for Madeline Lansky, ’16, and Nick Harper, ’15, are clerking Chief Justice John Roberts; Elizabeth Nielson, ’19 will clerk for Barrett; Patrick Fuster, ’18, is clerking for Roberts; for retired Justice Anthony Kennedy; Manuel Valle, ’17, Krista Perry, ’16, and James Burnham, ’09, are clerking for will clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas; Joel Wacks, ’18, will Gorsuch; and Amy Upshaw, ’16, and Philip Cooper, ’17, clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer; Andrew Waks, ’19, will are clerking for Thomas. clerk for Justice Elena Kagan; John Henry Thompson, ’18, There were four alumni clerks in the October 2019 term, will clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch; Sarah Welch, ’19, will when Mica Moore, ’17, clerked for Kagan; Kelly Holt, clerk for Justice Brett Kavanaugh; and Michael Heckmann, ’17, and Stephen Yelderman, ’10, clerked for Gorsuch; ’16, will clerk for Justice Amy Coney Barrett. and Caroline Cook, ’16, clerked for Thomas. “I had the honor of teaching all eight when they were “We’re thrilled that such a broad and diverse group of students at Chicago. They’re a remarkable group of superb students have been hired to clerk on the Supreme people, just as kind and resilient as they are brilliant Court, and we’re thrilled as well that they’ve been hired by and eloquent,” said Lior Strahilevitz, the Sidley Austin such a broad range of justices,” Masur said. “This reflects the Professor of Law, who co-chairs the faculty clerkship fact that there is not one model for success here. This school committee with Jonathan Masur, the John P. Wilson can be a springboard to great things for any of our students.” Professor of Law. “This is a fabulous group of students, all Strahilevitz shared his delight at the prospect of so many of whom I remember well for both their excellence in class Maroons getting to work together for the Court. and their warmth and generosity outside of it.” “Seeing 19 different Chicago alumni clerking at the Supreme The Law School has had at least one graduate clerking Court in the span of three years is a testament to all the great on the Supreme Court for at least part of every term since work that’s happening in our classrooms and clinics, and to 1972, and in 39 of the past 49 years, two or more clerks our admissions team’s eye for talent,” Strahilevitz said. “It’s 20 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL n SPRING 2 0 2 1 102746_P20_21 Eight Clerks a_a2.indd 1 5/27/21 8:38 AM tremendously satisfying to watch beloved former students District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. During serving the country and the legal profession in this way.” Law School, Waks was a Rubenstein Scholar, a Kirkland Currently, Gay is clerking for Judge Britt Grant on the & Ellis Scholar, a member of the Order of the Coif, and a Eleventh Circuit. During her time at comments editor for The University the Law School, she was a Kirkland of Chicago Law Review. & Ellis Scholar, a member of the Thompson, who will complete a Order of the Coif, a member of The one-year term as a Bristow Fellow University of Chicago Law Review, and in the US Solicitor General’s Office involved in Lawyers in the Classroom. this summer, has clerked for Judge Nielson is currently clerking for Thomas Griffith of the DC Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the Sixth and Judge Diane Sykes of the Circuit. She also has clerked for Seventh Circuit. During his time at Christina Gay Justice Thomas Lee of the Utah Andrew Waks the Law School, he was a Kirkland Supreme Court. During her time & Ellis Scholar and a member of at the Law School, she was the the Order of the Coif, the Federalist book review and symposium editor Society, and The University of for The University of Chicago Law Chicago Law Review. He also Review. Her dad, Howard Nielson, won the Sidley Austin Prize for ’97, a judge on the US District Excellence in Brief Writing in the Court for the District of Utah, Bigelow Moot Court Competition. clerked for Kennedy in 1998. Welch, who is clerking for Valle, currently a litigation associate Chief Judge William Pryor on the Elizabeth Nielson in the Washington, DC, office John Henry Thompson Eleventh Circuit, previously clerked of Sidley Austin LLP, has clerked for Judge Jeffrey Sutton on the for Judge Joan Larsen of the Sixth Sixth Circuit. She has also been a Circuit and Edith Jones of the Fifth Phillips Fellow in the US Solicitor Circuit. During his time at the Law General’s Office. During her School, he was a Rubenstein Scholar time at the Law School, she was a and served as the book review and Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, a member symposium editor for The University of Order of the Coif, and an articles of Chicago Law Review. editor on The University of Chicago Wacks, an associate at Keker, Law Review, the external vice Manuel Valle Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Sarah Welch president of the Federalist Society, Francisco, previously clerked for and a recipient of the Mulroy Judge Charles Breyer of the US Prize for Excellence in Appellate District Court for the Northern Advocacy in the Hinton Moot District of California and Judge Court competition. Margaret McKeown of the US Heckmann, who is an associate in Court of Appeals for the Ninth the Washington, DC, office of Circuit. During his time at the Latham & Watkins, has clerked for Law School, he was a Rubenstein Judge Stanley Marcus of the Scholar, a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, Eleventh Circuit and previously Joel Wacks a member of the Order of the Coif, Michael Heckmann clerked for Barrett when she was a and the executive topics and comments editor for The judge on the Seventh Circuit. He has also worked at University of Chicago Law Review. Cleary Gottlieb in Washington, DC. During his time at Waks, who is clerking for Judge David Tatel of the US the Law School, he was the managing online editor for Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, The University of Chicago Law Review and a member of the previously clerked for Judge Gary Feinerman of the US Law Students Association. SPRING 2 0 2 1 n THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL 21 102746_P20_21 Eight Clerks a_a3.indd 2 5/27/21 11:11 AM.
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